Frost Seeding

If your hunting property is in a part of the country where the top layer of soil freezes over the winter, you could benefit from frost seeding your food plots and taking advantage of the freeze-thaw-freeze cycle to jumpstart growth while minimizing costs. Follow these tips to take advantage of this efficient strategy.

Test Your Soil

Performing a soil test will provide you with details on pH so you can select the best seeds for your conditions and properly treat it with lime or fertilizer as needed. Your chosen crops will produce best when you take these factors into consideration.

Choose the Right Seed

Cool-season species such as clover, alfalfa, chicory, wheat, rye, and oats are top choices for frost seeding. Warm-season species and brassicas, however, are best planted later in the year. You can frost-seed these cool-season options in either an existing plot with similar crops or a new plot.

Consider Your Location

To take advantage of the freezing and thawing cycles in your region, plan to frost seed within the last two weeks of freezing conditions based on historical weather data and long-range forecasts. In southern portions of the country, this usually falls between January and February, but it can be much later in the northeast or midwest.

Hit Your Optimal Rate

Be sure to broadcast seed at the recommended rate for your chosen species. If you opt to overseed an existing plot, reduce it by half.